Twenty years ago, when Hailey Fortrick was a young man in his prime, he was the son of a wealthy merchant.
His father was entrusted by the Roll Royce family to sell carriages at the carriage showroom, making profits from the sales.
Since he was selling such famous luxury carriages, he lived a privileged life from a young age, always addressed as Young Master.
After Hailey became an adult, he naturally learned how to sell carriages, and he had quite the talent for it.
Perhaps thanks to his silver tongue, he often sold carriages and received his father’s praise.
A carefree, arrogant Young Master without a worry in the world. That was exactly how he lived back then.
But even for him, spring came. It was in the form of a girl named Tiara, who sold flowers with diligence despite her poverty.
She was a bold woman who treated people the same, whether they were rich or poor.
At first, he teased her for being arrogant, but, just as flowers bloom little by little, he gradually fell in love with her.
“You’re the first to ever treat me like this.”
“How much will it take? How much do you want?”
“You’re inside this heart.”
If it were now, he could recite those lines countless times to her while tossing and turning in bed.
Though she initially despised the arrogant Hailey who thought money solved everything, eventually, the two fell in love.
It was a time when there was nothing in the world to envy. And it felt like a sweet happiness that would never end.
Overcoming his family’s opposition and countless difficulties, they finally received approval to marry. A happy ending was within reach.
But that love did not last long. She fell gravely ill.
Her illness was the Magical Red Rune Disease, an incurable affliction that left red rune-shaped marks on the skin. Hailey hired Healers and brought in Doctors to try to cure her.
If there was any medicine rumored to help, he sold all his assets to purchase it. Yet, she only grew thinner and weaker.
On the day he sensed her death approaching, Hailey carried her on his back as he walked along the lakeside she loved so much.
She had always been light, but now she was unbearably so.
“Hey, Hailey? If… if we ever have a child, what would you like to name them?”
“Well… I haven’t thought about it, but what about ‘Hati’—taking the first letters from Hailey and Tiara?”
“That’s not very nice. You know, I once thought that if I ever had a son, I’d name him Meat. Our family was always short on food, so I always longed for meat.”
“What about a daughter’s name?”
“Well… I haven’t really thought about a daughter… I always imagined a son…”
“How about Pie for a daughter? Like the Meat Pie restaurant we used to go to.”
Hailey forced a laugh, trying to make a joke.
“And if those two are together, they’ll be teased for life, you know?”
“I don’t care if they’re teased. As long as my children can eat their fill… And if anyone teases them, I’ll find them all and scold them thoroughly.”
“Then, no one can stop our Tiara.”
“You know, if I could be born again, I’d like to be a horse. The truth is, I’ve never left this city. That lake is already so wide… but there’s a place in the world called the sea, and it’s said to be endlessly vast, incomparable to the lake. They say there’s deep water stretching to the ends of the world. I want to travel as a horse to all sorts of places.”
“I’ve heard that too. I’ll take you to the sea.”
“Pie. For commoners like us, even riding in a carriage once in a lifetime is a rarity. In that sense, I’m lucky. I met you, and got to ride carriages as much as I wanted. Walking on two feet and then moving in a carriage—it’s so comfortable and fast.”
“Just say the word. You know I have plenty of carriages, right?”
“You said you were going to sell them all… Hey, Hailey. Someday, if you get to make carriages, promise me you’ll make one that even poor commoners like us can ride…”
“I loved seeing the scenery flash by quickly from the carriage. I want to show that view to my friends, too.”
“Hmm… Let’s make it together. That’s a great idea.”
Hailey could feel Tiara’s words gradually slowing down. He swallowed the tears threatening to fall.
“I love you, and I’m sorry…”
With those words, Tiara’s hand fell limply. Hailey’s first love ended just like that.
Afterwards, for many years, Hailey devoted himself to creating a carriage that was more affordable and accessible for commoners.
At first, it was only to fulfill Tiara’s wish, but soon he too shared that dream.
Through countless trials and errors, he devised a new kind of carriage—not one handcrafted by artisans, but one that anyone could assemble from blueprints and manufactured parts.
It took twenty years, but eventually he standardized, systemized, and automated the production process, reducing the price of carriages by half.
As a result, he could now manufacture carriages at a price ten gold lower than even the cheapest existing model.
And he included her name at the end, calling the carriage Fort Rick T.
Even after twenty years had passed, he lived alone, unmarried, his love for her ongoing.
***
Hailey Fortrick opened his eyes. Before him, William Steven awaited his decision, with Meat standing beside him.
“All right. For the public carriage system that commoners can use, our company will lease carriages.”
“Thank you very much, Hailey-nim.”
“Furthermore, I’ll discount the sale price to twelve gold as proposed. I was actually planning to raise the price, but I’ll keep it unchanged. And after the two-year lease ends, ownership will be transferred to your company. If you pay 0.5 gold each month, after two years you’ll own the Fort Rick T carriage.”
“There are, however, three conditions.”
“Yes, Hailey-nim, please tell us.”
“I want to sign an exclusive Agreement with the Unicorn Company. For the next ten years, you’ll only be supplied with our company’s carriages.”
Just as I hoped. In fact, the other carriages cost more than double, so breaking even would be difficult.
Ten years is a bit long, but I consider this a win-win strategy.
“I accept.”
“The second condition involves horses and coachmen. The system won’t function with carriages alone. Once you’ve secured horses and coachmen, I’ll deliver the carriages.”
He’s saying he won’t provide them until the system is complete. He’s not wrong.
“That’s perfectly reasonable. Once we’ve solved that problem, we’ll contact you again, Hailey-nim.”
“My third condition is that I want Meat to be in charge of all these affairs.”
The third condition aligns with my thoughts.
As I plan to travel through many regions to fulfill my mission, I had intended for Meat to manage the Startup Bus.
But… what is Hailey-nim’s reason for the same idea?
Hailey looked at Meat. When he heard Meat had been subjected to severe violence by nobles, his blood boiled. An honest and diligent boy.
At the Meat Pie restaurant he used to frequent with Tiara, a boy began working there one day.
His name was Meat—the same name Tiara once wanted to give her son.
It was pure coincidence, but for the long-lonely Hailey, the orphaned Meat felt like a son sent by Tiara.
He wanted to give hope to the struggling boy. Secretly, he even considered passing on part of his business when he grew older.
He had recommended working as a coachman, thinking that starting there was the way to succeed in this business.
“Tiara. It took me twenty years, but I think I can finally fulfill your wish… If you ever see this, please praise me. That’s all I’ve been living for.”
He watched the two boys in silence.
“I accept all three conditions. In that case, may I ask one request as well?”
“What is it?”
“Please write one Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).”
“Memorandum of Understanding? What is that?”
“A Memorandum of Understanding is a document stating your intention to provide us with fifty carriages in the future.”
“But I said the actual Agreement would proceed only after you’ve approved the horses and coachmen.”
Hailey-nim’s expression hardened at the sudden suggestion to sign something first.
“The Memorandum of Understanding is not a real Agreement. It simply confirms that both sides intend to enter into an Agreement. It’s not a binding contract, so even if you write this document, you’re not obligated to carry out the actual Agreement, Hailey-nim.”
“Huh? So you’re asking me to sign a non-binding contract?”
“Yes. I just want to confirm there’s a possibility for a Promise between you and me.”
Hailey looked at William Steven again. Despite looking even younger than Meat, his appearance was almost childlike.
Yet, with his talk of Rent-to-Own and Letters of Intent, this person was well-versed in knowledge Hailey himself did not possess. Who in the world was he?
“Understood. I don’t know what effect this Letter of Intent will have, but I’m sure you have your reasons, William-nim. If you wait at the showroom for a moment, I’ll prepare the document and bring it to you.”
“Thank you very much. Then, I’ll look around for a bit. I look forward to working with you.”
“The same to you. Meeting you, William-nim, may prove the best decision of my life.”
Hailey-nim reached out his hand to me. A handshake. It is a basic etiquette symbolizing trust and respect, both on Earth and in this world.
Hailey-nim and I firmly shook hands. Then, Hailey-nim shared a heartfelt embrace with Meat.
***
Memorandum of Understanding(MOU).
In business, when starting new dealings, it’s a contract that expresses intent to form a new cooperative relationship.
Although it’s called a contract, its main characteristic is that it’s usually not legally binding.
When running a Startup in Korea, I signed more Memorandum of Understanding than I expected.
At first, I wondered why people would sign these documents with no real effect.
Sometimes, after signing the MOU with various companies, there would be no further contact and nothing would happen.
Yet, these MOU documents were actually quite effective.
Their main function was to serve as evidence to show others.
When pitching a business to make goods for a famous idol group, having a contract with their agency was the strongest weapon when seeking investment or persuading clients.
However, contracts involving money rarely come easily—they’re only signed after long review.
Without a contract, claiming to work with famous idol agencies can sound like mere boasting.
But what if you have a Letter of Intent? A document with the agency’s stamp, stating their willingness to cooperate if the goods are developed in the future.
For the agency, whether they cooperate or not doesn’t matter much.
If you have a network, it’s much easier to get a Letter of Intent than a full contract.
But for me, having that Letter of Intent was a great advantage. It provided a basis for everything.
The connection with a famous agency that once felt distant now seemed within reach if I could just get investment.
Even for investors, it’s far more convincing to see a relationship confirmed in writing than to just hear about it.
That’s why, whenever I worked on a new item as a Startup, I tried to sign as many MOUs with related companies as possible.
The single MOU document Hailey-nim signed will be a tremendous asset as I push forward with this business.
‘Next, it’s time to solve the problem of horses and coachmen…’
The Startup Bus was slowly beginning to take shape.